Does India Need Public Sector Enterprises?

While the title of this article might shock many of you, this is clearly not my intention. The idea, rather, is to assess the state of India’s state sector in the economy over the past many decades and see how they are faring as well as how many are still required in today’s business and… Continue reading Does India Need Public Sector Enterprises?

How India Loses by Not Holding a Census

2020-21 was the year of the decadal census for many countries, including India, as I wrote in a blog post at the time. It was also the year of the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic across the world and India too had introduced strict lockdowns. This, and social distancing norms being enforced meant that the census could… Continue reading How India Loses by Not Holding a Census

In Advertising vs Subscription Debate, Many Losers

It’s been at least a couple of decades that we have been hearing about the falling circulation and readership of print publications in India and around the world. We know it is largely due to the arrival of the digital medium, and for many of the initial years, digital publications were free to read. Unfortunately,… Continue reading In Advertising vs Subscription Debate, Many Losers

Why 2024 Ought to Be the Year of Rightsizing Luxury

A small bit of news during Q3 2023 corporate earnings struck me as curious. That luxury goods sales were slowing down. And not merely because of China’s economic slowdown, but luxury sales even in the US were reported to be lacklustre. If anything, China was still the saving grace. And it’s not just LVMH; Kering… Continue reading Why 2024 Ought to Be the Year of Rightsizing Luxury

Protected: Signposts For Reading the Future

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

How Should Advertising Agencies Be Remunerated?

It’s 20 years since I last worked at an advertising agency, that being RK Swamy/BBDO India in their Chennai office. As if that mistake was not enough, I made the blunder of then joining a PR firm in Delhi, Perfect Relations, in 2006. I was always a copywriter in advertising throughout my long career in… Continue reading How Should Advertising Agencies Be Remunerated?

Change or Continuity, It’s Horse-trading Season

In just a couple of months perhaps, the world’s largest democracy goes to the polls. The ruling party, BJP, is so confident of returning to power for a third successive term that it has even forecast the number of seats it will win. Prime minister Modi said during his speech in Parliament just a few… Continue reading Change or Continuity, It’s Horse-trading Season

Myths and What We Make of Them

I am reading the famous book of Norse mythology called The Edda, said to have originated in Iceland in the 13th century. Or at least it is believed to have been written in the 13th century. The Edda is in two parts: The later Poetic Edda dating from AD 800 to 1100, and the earlier… Continue reading Myths and What We Make of Them

The Three ‘I’s to Watch in the Global Economy

What? There are no 'I's in the global economy, of course. Well, the year has begun with corporate earnings and once again it’s time to turn our attention to these to see what they seem to be telling us about the health of the economy. India’s, and the world’s. From the corporate earnings announced, they… Continue reading The Three ‘I’s to Watch in the Global Economy

Protected: Reading Into 2024

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.